Tiffany

Former Liverbirds lead singer Tiffany fronted Tiffany’s Dimensions before going solo and releasing two singles in the mid-1960s.

She was born Irene Green and grew up in Liverpool, on England’s north west coast.

In early 1962, she and four friends formed the group the Debutones, but later renamed themselves the Liverbirds. Somewhat unusually for the time, the girls played their own instruments. Irene was lead vocalist, Valerie Gell and Sheila McGlory played guitar and sang, Sheila’s sister Mary McGlory was on bass guitar and sang, and Sylvia Saunders played the drums. Their music tended towards the folkier end of the market, at least initially.

Irene and Sheila left in 1963 and Pamela Birch was drafted in to take over lead vocals. As a foursome, the group went on to become a regular feature at Hamburg’s Star-Club and enjoyed a chart hit in Germany in May 1965 with Diddley daddy.

Irene went solo and played clubs in Merseyside before joining the newly formed, all-male Four Dimensions in April 1964 as lead singer. By now she was known professionally as Tiffany and the group changed its name to Tiffany’s Dimensions to mark her arrival. However, both she and the boys continued to make separate appearances at local clubs.

By early 1965 the group remained unsigned and when Tiffany was offered a solo contract with the Parlophone label, she jumped at the opportunity, while The Dimensions joined EMI.

Tiffany’s debut solo single, the cracking Jackie de Shannon-penned Am I dreaming, was issued in July 1965. The B-side was an excellent version of Barbara George’s I know (which had also been recorded by fellow Mersey girl Beryl Marsden). Sadly, the single failed to register with the record-buying public and died upon release.

For the follow up, issued in April 1966, she was backed by the band The Thoughts, whose members included Paul Dean (later better known as Paul Nicholas). Credited to Tiffany with The Thoughts, the A side was a version of The Downliners Sect’s Find out what’s happening. The cracking Baby don’t look down appeared on the B-side.

Again, the single failed and Tiffany was dropped by Parlophone. The Thoughts moved on to join the Planet label.